Karel de Grote-Hogeschool Antwerpen The importance of intercultural competence in language education Paul Catteeuw Iasį (EuroEd), 25 June 2009.

Karel de Grote-Hogeschool Antwerpen

The importance of intercultural competence in language

education

Paul CatteeuwIasį (EuroEd), 25 June 2009



Why?In society

• Changing society• Integration

Knowledge Competence (thinking) (doing)

• Flemish government

• Here and there• Critical factor for success

Within the university

• Renewal curriculum• Competence based

• Necessity of the subject: Society Business Education

• accreditation of the training

• Social constructivism• Critical factor for success


Changing worldEvolution • Labour migration > asylum migration• unicultural homogeneous society (20th c.) >

diverse & multicultural society (21st c.)

Changing/changed demographic scene

Prognosis 2050:

From 10-15% to 30% people with different cultural background


Migrants in Belgium

Italy 286.000 (2,7%)

Morocco 265.000 (2,5%)

France 164.000 (1,5%)

Turkey 160.000 (1,5%)

Netherlands 125.000 (1,2%)

Total 1.570.000 (15%)

Belgium 10.511.000



Social

Holidays

Professional

Professional

There

Here

Intercultural contacts


Necessity labour market• Contact with different cultures

• Own (social) environment (HERE)• Own working climate (HERE)

• Colleagues, employer, subordinates• Manuals, working methods

• Contacts with other companies (THERE)• Domestic (corporate culture)• Abroad (trade contacts)

– Holidays (THERE): travel guides


What? Contents• Training intercultural competence

Theoretical basis Practical learning and reflection

• Interaction culture - communication

• Basic competence

• Business: from contact to contract

CONTACT?

SUCCESS?

ICO?NO

TRAINING

CONTACT

SUCCESS

ICO

TRAINING


CompetenceDefinition competence

A competence is the integrated use of • KNOWLEDGE • SKILLS• ATTITUDES• PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

to carry out correctly a certain task or to solve problems in a specific professional situation



Basic Intercultural Competence

‘I am a critical and conscious citizen (1) and I can function flexibly (3) and interculturally (3)in an open and respectful manner (2) in the multiculturaland diverse society (6) in which I live (4) and work (5)’

The right to differ

FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCE FOR INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES Basic = knowing Advanced = understanding Proficiency = applying

1 Critical awareness Can deal critically and consciously as an individual with the society in which he/she lives

1. Notices that he/she lives in a changing society Dares to question the society in which he/she lives Is aware of and has a critical approach to the society in which he/she lives

2. Recognizes prejudices, racist feelings and attitudes within oneself and others and knows the cultural stereotypes

Can make prejudices, racist feelings and attitudes within oneself and others subject of discussion and understands the origin of stereotypes

Can prevent oneself and others from prejudices, racist feelings and attitudes and can see through the cultural stereotypes

2 Openness - right to differ - respect for otherness Can deal with ambiguous situations, is open to others and can accept and respect possible differences

3. Recognizes other cultures and cultural diversity Tolerates other cultures and cultural diversity Functions within other cultures and cultural diversity 4. Recognizes otherness (culture, class, gender, age, health,

sexual inclination, ethnicity, appearance, …) Accepts otherness Functions according to the principles of equality

5. Recognizes culture shock within oneself and others when in contact with a different culture

Knows how to deal with the problems of culture shock Effectively overcomes the problems of culture shock

3 Flexibility and empathy Can be flexible when dealing with realistic situations and demands and can understand intuitively what other people think and feel in realistic situations

6. Is aware of past experiences Learns from past experiences Adapts to the actual situation 7. Is willing to learn the partner’s language: CEF - A Is willing to learn the partner’s language: CEF - B Is willing to learn the business partner’s language: CEF - C 8. Notices that business partners can react differently Understands that business partners can react differently Accepts the other as a coherent individual and deals tactfully

with different reactions 4 Communicative skill Can communicate effectively and correctly with others in realistic situations

9. Recognizes the intercultural background and possible problems in written, oral and non-verbal communication

Understands the intercultural background and possible problems in written, oral and non-verbal communication

Can prevent possible intercultural problems in written and oral communication and in non-verbal communication

5 Solution oriented attitude Can think and act in a solution oriented way in realistic situations

10. Recognizes misunderstandings and conflicts, possibly related to the cultural background

Understands the origin of misunderstandings and conflicts, possibly related to the cultural background

Can prevent misunderstandings and conflicts

11. In individual situations, makes an extra effort to learn from misunderstandings and conflicts.

As a rule makes an extra effort to learn from misunderstandings and conflicts.

Will purposely seek out situations in which can be learned from living, working or studying with people from different cultures or with a different background

6 Cultural knowledge Can acquire knowledge of a different culture and can use this knowledge in actual situations

12. Knows the concepts relating to interculturality Can see a link between professional situations and the concepts relating to interculturality

Can apply the concepts relating to interculturality in professional situations

13. Recognizes the problems of neglected target groups: immigrants, asylum seekers, the underprivileged, .. whom he/she has to deal with in his/her working environment (subordinates, colleagues)

Knows how to deal with and understands the problems of neglected target groups

Effectively deals with people from neglected target groups in a spontaneous way

14. Recognizes the sociocultural conventions of target groups he/she comes into contact with: companies, expats, …

Understands the sociocultural conventions of the target groups he/she comes into contact with

Incorporates the sociocultural conventions of the target groups he/she comes into contact with

Karel de Grote-Hogeschool AntwerpenKarel de Grote-Hogeschool Antwerpen

Levels in acquiring competence Miller’s Triangle

Proficiency: applying

competence

Advanced: understanding

through exercise

Basic: knowing + knowing how

DOES

SHOWS HOW

KNOWS HOW

KNOWS


Language• The main form of communication in all

its forms– Spoken language– ...– Non-verbal communication

• Which language?– Romanian? Dutch? English?– Which English?– Which register


Ikea• Niet zo gek, die Zweden!

• Ils sont fous, ces Suédois

(Moldova)


Mental programming (Hofstede)

• Personality: inbred and taught

Communication:differences between people

• Culture: what we do with human nature is taught= nurture

Communication:problematic layer

• Human nature:everything which is inbred= nature

Communication: no problems


Different culturesPossibilities of classificationNational/regional cultures

From national and linguistic frontiers to cultural frontiers

Social culturesGender, social classes, birth, sexual

inclination, …Group cultures

Family, company, school, …

Claes en Gerritsen, Culturele waarden en communicatie in internationaal perspectief, 2002


Icebergmodel

Not noticeable: MEANING OF WORDS

Values and norms

Noticeable : WORDS

Symbols, heroes, rituals


Lingua franca• Objective point of view

• “Landeskunde” from different point of view

• Critical awareness

• Respect

• Intercultural competence > intercultural communication

• Language of understanding

Karel de Grote-Hogeschool Antwerpen The importance of intercultural competence in language education Paul Catteeuw Iasį (EuroEd), 25 June 2009.

Documents

success slide

basic intercultural

competence advanced

ces sudois moldova slide

nature communication

intercultural contacts

taught communication

nurture communication